Caribbean receives counter-terrorism training

In the wake of the terrorist attacks in the USA on 11 September 2001, Commonwealth Heads of Government requested the Commonwealth Secretariat to develop a programme to assist enforcement officials to prevent and combat terrorism. The Secretariat has since assisted member countries in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific with counter-terrorism training.

“Terrorism is not just any type of crime. Not primarily motivated by profit or the result of a moment’s passion or calculated revenge, it is driven by ideals that define human purpose and for many give meaning and significance to life - religion, politics and ideology,” said David Fraser, Legal Adviser at the Secretariat, at the opening of a counter-terrorism workshop in Antigua and Barbuda between 13 and 17 October 2008.

“Terrorists therefore have every motivation to carefully plan and strategise to ensure that their acts will cause the maximum pain and damage; paradoxically for the good of their cause which is seen as worthy.”

The Secretariat’s counter-terrorism programme has provided assistance to Commonwealth countries ranging from the development of model legislation and implementation kits to helping countries implement the international counter-terrorism conventions; hosting training of specialists and trainers workshops; and developing a manual to guide trainers in spreading knowledge within their jurisdictions.

The Secretariat has conducted national training programmes across the Caribbean and has worked closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism, Organization of American States, and many other organisations with complementary mandates, in delivering this comprehensive assistance to the region.

Mr Fraser explained at the recent workshop in Antigua and Barbuda that these programmes help to generate lasting improvements to both national and regional levels of capacity to fight against terrorism.

The Caribbean is vulnerable to terrorism, according to Mr Fraser, because it has not had to deal up close with the most damaging effects of terrorism on a day-to-day basis, and is therefore prone to complacency and a false sense of security, which may compromise international efforts at counter-terrorism relating to halting terrorist acts and cutting off its funding.

“A terrorist act in the Caribbean would be devastating. But, a finding that a terrorist act was in some way aided and abetted by financing that passed through the Caribbean due to inadequate systems and lack of capacity, would also deal a significant blow to the region,” explained the Legal Adviser.

The recent workshop in the Caribbean for law enforcement officials and legal prosecutors from 13 countries therefore sought to build their ability on legislative issues related to the financing of terrorism, the special techniques of investigation and prosecution of terrorism, and international co-operation.

“The awareness in the Caribbean needs to be raised more in terms of terrorist financing and the relation to money laundering,” said Police Sergeant Nigel Stoddard of Trinidad and Tobago’s Financial Investigations Unit. “There is no identifiable terrorist group, for example Al-Qaeda, in the Caribbean region, so the majority of Caribbean countries have some difficulty in identifying that type of activity [terrorist financing].”

Key Links:

• Law
• Country Profile: Antigua and Barbuda